Check-punch



(No Model.) I

E. N. SPERRY.

GHEGK PUNCH.

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Patented May 27, 1890.

(No Model.)

2 shets sheet 2. B. N. SPERRY.

' CHECK PUNGH.

gatented May 27, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIE N. SPERRY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

CHECK-PUNCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 429,100, dated May 27, 1890.

'such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the class of punches which act to cut out characters from a check or other piece of commercial paper, and has for its object to simplify and cheapen their construction-in other words, to produce a punch whose mode of operation shall be equal to the hi gh-priced punches now upon the market, and which may be produced at such a reduced cost as to place it within the reach of any one who may be called upon to draw checks.

With this end in view I have devised the simple and novel construction of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numerals being used to denote the several parts.

Figure 1 is a front elevation; Fig. 2, a plan View; Fig. 3, a back view of one of the punches detached Fig. 4, avertical transverse section; and Fig. 5, a horizontal longitudinal section, the punches being removed, showing the mode of operation in use.

The essential features of my novel punch are a set of dies, a set of punches, a suitable frame-work, and a spacing-guide.

1 denotes the frame-work, which preferably consists of a hollow base and a suitable upright portion to support the shanks of the punches, substantially as shown in the drawings, although it should be understood that the special design of my novel punch has nothing to do with my present invention, and that the shanks of the punches may be exposed, if preferred, instead of being inclosed, as shown in the drawings.

2 denotes the punches, whose shanks extend upward through the framework, which guides and. supports them, and are provided at their upper ends with heads or buttons 3,

fieriai No. 344,115. (No model.)

upon which I place a character corresponding with the punch.

4 denotes a groove in the shank of each punch, which is engaged by a pin 5, rigidly secured to the frame-work and acting to hold the punch from turning in use. The shank of each pin is also provided with a stop 6, which engages the frame-work to limit the downward movement of the punch.

7 denotes a coil-spring surrounding the shank of each punch, one end of the spring bearing against the f rame-work and the other against a pin 8 in the shank of the punch, the action of the spring being to hold the punch at its raised position and to return it to its raised position after use.

9 denotes dies, which may be made independently or may all be cut in a single longitudinal strip secured in any suitable manner to the frame-work-as, for instance, by clamps l0 and a longitudinal strip 11, as shown in Fig. 4. v

12 denotes my novel spacinguide, which consists of a plate suitably secured in the frame-worle-for example, by screws 13. This plate is provided with slots 14 and with openings 15, through which the ends of the punches pass freely, the plate acting as a stripper to remove the check from the punch when the latter moves upward to place after a characterhas been punched out. For convenience I also preferably'place directly in front of the opening through which each punch passes a character corresponding with that punch. This is in order to avoid the possibility of punching out the wrong character in use. It will be noticed that the spacing-guide is placed a slight distance above the die-plate or series of dies, leaving a slot 16 between the dies and the spacing-guide to receive the check, the back of the frame-work at the inner end of the slot serving as a stop against which ordinarily the top edge of the check rests in use.

The operation is as follows: It is of course well understood that in punching checks it The check is inserted in slot 16 and pushed backward until the edge thereof rests against the frame-work of the machine at the inner end of the slot. Suppose, for instance, that the amount of the check is eight hundred and nine dollars and that it is desired to punch the corresponding characters out of the check. The check is moved toward the right until the portion of the check where it is desired to have the first dollarcharaoter is under the punch which cuts that character. The punch is then pressed down and the character cutout. The check is then moved toward the left until the dollar-char aeter just cut out shows in the slot 1* next at the left of the next character required to be punched out-in this instance the figure 8. The S-punch is then pressed down and cuts out that character. The check is then moved toward the right until the 8 just punched out shows clearly in the slot 11L next at the left of the character 0. The O is then punched out, it being understood, of course, that the instant the pressure is relieved upon the head of a punch the spring causes it instantly to move upward again out of operative position, the spacing-guide serving as a stripper to remove the check from the punch. The check is then moved toward the left again until the 0 just cut out shows in the slot 14 next at the left of the character 9. The 9 is then punched out. The check is then moved to the right again until the charaeter last punched out-that is, the 9 -appears next at the left of the dollar-character, which is then punched out and completes the marking of the check. This operation will be clearly understood from Fig. 5, in which I have dotted the position of the dies that are under the check.

It will be seen from Fig. t that the ends of the punches in their raised position are above the under side of the spacing-guide, so that slot 16 is open from end to end, permitting the check to be moved backward and forward freely, except at the instant that a punch is moved down.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- A check-punch consisting of a series of punches placed in a horizontal line, a series of dies corresponding therewith, suitable fraln e-work acting to guide the punches, and a spacing-guide havingopenings through which the punch is passed, and slots between said openings, through which the character last punched may be seen, substantially as de-' scribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 111 presence of two witnesses.

ELLIE N. SPERRY.

'itncsses:

A. M. Woos'rER, ARLEY I. MUNsoN. 

